Shloka 73
कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ४०
Karṇa’s Pressure on the Pāñcālas; Duryodhana Disabled; Arjuna’s Counter-Advance
द्रोणद्रौणिकृपैर्गुप्तो भीष्मेणान्यैश्व कौरवै: । विराटनगरे पार्थमेक॑ कि नावधीस्तदा
droṇa-drauṇi-kṛpaiḥ gupto bhīṣmeṇānyaiś ca kauravaiḥ | virāṭa-nagare pārtham ekaṁ kiṁ na avadhīs tadā ||
Di kota Virāṭa, engkau dilindungi oleh Droṇa, Aśvatthāmā, Kṛpa, Bhīṣma, dan para pahlawan Kaurava yang lain. Maka mengapa pada waktu itu engkau tidak membunuh Arjuna (Pārtha) ketika dia berdiri di hadapanmu seorang diri?
काक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse functions as a moral and strategic reproach: it highlights the gap between claimed prowess and actual performance, implying that true valor in war is proven by decisive action when opportunity arises, not by later boasting.
Kāka challenges a Kaurava-side warrior by recalling the Virāṭa episode: despite being backed by major Kuru champions (Droṇa, Aśvatthāmā, Kṛpa, Bhīṣma, and others), they failed to slay Arjuna when he confronted them alone, and Kāka questions this failure.